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Abstract Introduction Appendicectomy remains the standard treatment for appendicitis. There is a lack of clarity on the timeframe in which surgery should be performed to avoid unfavourable outcomes. Aim To perform a systematic review and network meta-analysis to evaluate the impact the (1)time-of-day surgery is performed (2), time elapsed from symptom onset to hospital presentation (patient time) (3), time elapsed from hospital presentation to surgery (hospital time), and (4)time elapsed from symptom onset to surgery (total time) have on appendicectomy outcomes. Methods A systematic review was performed as per PRISMA-NMA guidelines. The time-of-day which surgery was done was divided into day, evening and night. The other groups were divided into 48 h. The rate of complicated appendicitis, operative time, perforation, post-operative complications, surgical site infection (SSI), length of stay (LOS), readmission and mortality rates were analysed. Results Sixteen studies were included with a total of 232,678 patients. The time of day at which surgery was performed had no impact on outcomes. The incidence of complicated appendicitis, post-operative complications and LOS were significantly better when the hospital time and total time were 48 h after admission. The time-of-day which surgery is performed does not impact outcomes.

The unexpected global overload of the health system during COVID-19 pandemic has caused changes in management of acute appendicitis worldwide. Whereas conservative treatment was widely recommended, the appendicectomy remained standard therapy in Germany. We aimed to investigate the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on treatment routine for acute appendicitis at University Hospital of Magdeburg.

Abstract Introduction Recent evidence confirms that the treatment of acute appendicitis is not necessarily surgical, and selected patients with uncomplicated appendicitis can benefit from a non-operative management. Unfortunately, no cost-effective test has been proven to be able to effectively predict the degree of appendicular inflammation as yet, therefore, patient selection is too often left to the personal choice of the emergency surgeon. Our paper aims to clarify if basic and readily available blood tests can give reliable prognostic information to build up predictive models to help the decision-making process. Methods Clinical notes of 2275 patients who underwent an appendicectomy with a presumptive diagnosis of acute appendicitis were reviewed, taking into consideration basic preoperative blood tests and histology reports on the surgical specimens. Variables were compared with univariate and multivariate analysis, and predictive models were created. Results 18.2% of patients had a negative appendicectomy, 9.6% had mucosal only inflammation, 53% had transmural inflammation and 19.2% had gangrenous appendicitis. A strong correlation was found between degree of inflammation and lymphocytes count and CRP/Albumin ratio, both at univariate and multivariate analysis. A predictive model to identify cases of gangrenous appendicitis was developed. Conclusion Low lymphocyte count and high CRP/Albumin ratio combined into a predictive model may have a role in the selection of patients who deserve appendicectomy instead of non-operative management of acute appendicitis.

The persistent vitellointestinal duct (PVID) is the rarest of all the vitelline duct anomalies. The enteric end of the vitelline duct mostly connects to the terminal ileum. The appendico-umbilical fistula (appendiceal-umbilical fistula) in which the proximal end of the vitelline duct connects to the appendix is a rare clinical entity. This systematic literature review was carried out to review the demographics, clinical characteristics and operative procedures executed for the appendico-umbilical fistula. Literature/cases with incomplete desired details for the above-mentioned anomaly were excluded. The guidelines of the preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses are followed for presenting this manuscript. An online search was made for the retrieval of the published manuscripts. The search was performed for the previous 100 years from 1921 to December 2021. A total of n = 21 (n = 12 female and n = 9 males) cases of the appendico-umbilical fistula were included in the systematic review. All the cases, except one, were infants and n = 10 of the cases were neonates/newborn babies. Their ages ranged from 1 day to 5 years. Three-fourths (n = 16) of the children presented with the chief complaint of discharge of mucus/stool through the umbilicus. An appendicectomy with resection of the PVID/fistulous duct/prolapsed mucosa was executed as the standard operative procedure for the entire case. A peri-umbilical incision was preferred and frequently employed for surgical therapy. This review revealed only one (4.76%) post-operative death that was unrelated to the surgical procedure. PVID connected to the appendix, presented clinically as appendico-umbilical fistula is a rare entity. The standard surgical procedure performed for the appendico-umbilical fistula was an appendicectomy with resection of the PVID/fistulous duct/prolapsed mucosa.

Introduction: The fact remains that there are still some ambiguities in our understanding of the locations of the vermiform appendix. Understanding the changes in the position of the vermiform appendix is significant because, in cases of appendicitis, its varying locations may result in varying symptoms and warning indications that mirror those of other illnesses. Aim: To determine any difference between the surgical and anatomical assessment of the position of the appendix. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in the Departments of General Surgery and Forensic Medicine, Government Medical College, Thiruvananthapuram, Trivandrum, Kerala, India, from January 2020 to July 2021. The position of the appendix in a total of 224 patients was studied, of which 115 were surgical patients and the rest (109) were autopsy cases. All consecutive patients who met the inclusion criteria undergoing appendicectomy were included in the study. A similar procedure was followed in the autopsy series, with the consent of the nearest relatives. The mean and standard deviation were used to summarise continuous data, whereas absolute numbers and percentages were used to summarise categorical data. The prevalence of the position of the appendix was reported as a percentage. Results: The mean ± standard deviation (SD) age for the whole study group was 37.47 ± 19.30 years, and there were 149 (66.52%) males. The most common position of the appendix in the surgical arm was retrocaecal (n=58, 50.43%), and the most common position in the autopsy arm was pelvic (n=36, 33.0%). Overall, the most common position of the appendix was retrocaecal (n=86, 38.39%). Apart from a very mild correlation between age and length of the appendix, with a Pearson's correlation coefficient of -0.2808, there was no correlation between the dimensions of the appendix and anthropometric parameters. Conclusion: The most common position of the appendix is found to be retrocaecal, followed by pelvic and subcaecal. Also, considering the various factors that may influence the position of the appendix, it is difficult to state one position as the most common one.

Acute appendicitis is very uncommon in the first year of life and often its presentation is atypical with high risk of complications. Hereby, we present 4 clinical cases of infants, who were diagnosed with acute appendicitis in our hospital over the last year. The reported clinical cases highlight the several drawbacks clinicians face when managing infants with symptoms suggestive for acute appendicitis. After specific diagnostic work-up, even if not conclusive, patients were intraoperatively diagnosed with acute appendicitis and underwent appendicectomy. Maintaining a high index of suspicion for acute appendicitis in infants presenting with intra-abdominal sepsis of unclear etiology is, in our opinion, the most crucial factor to avoid complications and longer hospitalization.

Background: Decision-making in patients suspected of having acute appendicitis has remained a diagnostic challenge worldwide despite the advances in imaging and appendiceal surgery. There have been efforts to improve the diagnosis of appendicitis using clinical scoring systems. Aim: We evaluated and compared the diagnostic accuracy and role of Alvarado score (AS) and two of its modification (Kalan and Al-Fallouji) in the preoperative diagnosis of acute appendicitis. Materials and Methods: This was a prospective study conducted at the Usmanu Danfodiyo University Teaching Hospital, Sokoto, of all adult patients operated for acute appendicitis from July 2014 to June 2017. The results were analyzed on computer using Statistical Package for the Social Science version 15.Results: One hundred and eleven patients were studied. Sixty-six (59.5%) patients were males and 45 (40.5%) were females. The male-to-female ratio was 1.5:1. The mean age was 23.89 ± 4.93 years. The AS sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value, and diagnostic accuracy of 90.3%, 83.3%, 96.6%, 62.2%, and 89.2%, respectively, were similar to the findings of Kalan score (90.3%, 83.3%, 96.6%, 62.5%, and 89.2%, respectively) and Al-Fallouji score (96.8%, 66.7%, 93.8%, 80%, and 91.9%, respectively). The receiver operating curve and area under the curve show that Alvarado, Kalan, and Al-Fallouji are accurate scores in the preoperative diagnosis of acute appendicitis with an area under the curve of 0.88, 0.86, and 0.85, respectively. Conclusion: Kalan and Al-Fallouji scores have comparably good diagnostic accuracy as the AS among our patients. Any of these scores can be used as an adjunct in the preoperative diagnosis of acute appendicitis.

Introduction Concerns relating to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and general anesthesia (GA) prompted our department to consider that open appendicectomy under spinal anesthesia (SA) avoids aerosolization from intubation and laparoscopy. While common in developing nations, it is unusual in the United Kingdom. We present the first United Kingdom case series and discuss its potential role during and after this pandemic. Methods We prospectively studied patients with appendicitis at a British district general hospital who were unsuitable for conservative management and consequently underwent open appendicectomy under SA. We also reviewed patient satisfaction after 30 days. This ran for 5 weeks from March 25th, 2020 until the surgical department reverted to the laparoscopic appendicectomy as the standard of care. Main outcomes were 30-day complication rates and patient satisfaction. Results None of the included seven patients were COVID positive. The majority (four-sevenths) had complicated appendicitis. There were no major adverse (Clavien-Dindo grade III to V) postoperative events. Two patients suffered minor postoperative complications. Two experienced intraoperative pain. Mean operative time was 44 minutes. Median length of stay and return to activity was 1 and 14 days, respectively. Although four stated preference in hindsight for GA, the majority (five-sevenths) were satisfied with the operative experience under SA. Discussion Although contraindications, risk of pain, and specific complications may be limiting, our series demonstrates open appendicectomy under SA to be safe and feasible in the United Kingdom. The technique could be a valuable contingency for COVID-suspected cases and patients with high-risk respiratory disease.

In the presence of an appendicular mass, surgery is generally limited to the drainage of abscess. Scientific literature is sparse and controversial as to how the ongoing sepsis despite the drainage of appendicular abscess should be managed. Deliberate appendicectomy in the presence of mass formation is often not recommended as it may cause collateral damage to the adherent bowel loops. The authors describe a useful technique of doing appendicectomy by stripping the mucosa alone, leaving behind the adherent muscular cuff undisturbed. This technique is given an acronym “mucosa-coring salvage (MU-CO-SAL) appendicectomy.” This article is intended to draw the attention of pediatric surgeons to this useful technique, which remains underutilized despite being described almost a decade ago.

Background: Recruiting patients to paediatric trials can be challenging, especially in trials that compare markedly different management pathways and are conducted in acute settings. We aimed to enhance informed consent and recruitment in the CONTRACT trial (CONservative TReatment of Appendicitis in Children a randomised controlled Trial; ISRCTN15830435) - a feasibility trial that compared non-operative treatment (antibiotics) versus appendicectomy for uncomplicated acute appendicitis.Methods: Qualitative study embedded within CONTRACT and conducted across three UK children's hospitals. Data were transcribed audio-recordings of 85 CONTRACT recruitment consultations with 58 families; and semi-structured interviews with 35 health professionals and 28 families (34 parents, 14 children) invited to participate in CONTRACT. Data analysis drew on thematic approaches. Throughout CONTRACT, we used findings from the ongoing qualitative analysis to inform bespoke communication training for health professionals recruiting to CONTRACT. Before and after training we also examined qualitative changes in communication during consultations and quantitative changes in recruitment rates.Results: Bespoke communication training focussed on presenting the trial arms in a balanced way, emphasising clinical equipoise, exploring family treatment preferences and managing families' expectations about the trial's treatment pathways. Analysis of recruitment consultations indicated that health professionals' presentation of treatment arms became increasingly balanced following training, (e.g. avoiding imbalanced terminology) and recruitment rose from 38 to 62%. However, they remained reluctant to explore families' treatment preferences and respond with further information to balance these preferences. Analyses of interviews identified the time constraints of the urgent care setting, concerns about coercion, and reservations about exposing children to conversations about treatment risks as reasons for this reluctance. Interviews with families indicated the importance of clear explanations of trial treatment timings and sensitive communication of treatment allocation for both recruitment and retention.Conclusions: Following bespoke training based on the qualitative analyses, health professionals presented CONTRACT to families in clearer and more balanced ways and this was associated with an increase in the recruitment rate. Despite training, health professionals remained reluctant to explore families' treatment preferences. We provide several recommendations to enhance communication, informed consent, recruitment and retention in future trials in urgent care settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Many hospitals across Australia and New Zealand have implemented acute care surgery (ACS) models over the past decade, often with improved outcomes such as reductions in wait time to surgery, complications and length of stay. The aim of this study was to evaluate the outcomes of patients who underwent non‐elective appendicectomy and cholecystectomy and compare these with the results observed shortly after the implementation of an ACS model at our institution 10 years earlier. Methods: A retrospective review of contemporary patients who underwent non‐elective appendicectomy and cholecystectomy compared with historical data was performed. Primary outcomes were wait time to surgery, surgical complications and length of stay. Results: In the contemporary cohort, 263 patients underwent non‐elective appendicectomy over a 1‐year period compared with 226 patients in the historical cohort. The median wait time to surgery had increased (17.7 versus 9.6 h, P < 0.001). There was no significant difference in a composite end‐point of complications and readmissions (8.0% versus 9.3%, P = 0.61). The length of stay was unchanged. There was greater use of preoperative imaging and reduced overnight operating. For non‐elective cholecystectomies, 132 patients underwent this procedure in the contemporary cohort over a 2‐year period compared with 115 patients in the historical cohort. There were no significant differences in wait time to surgery (2 versus 1 day, P = 0.13) or complications (9.8% versus 8.7%, P = 0.75). The length of stay was unchanged. Conclusion: The majority of improvements seen shortly following the implementation of an ACS model have been sustained after 10 years. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Acute appendicitis is the most common abdominal surgical emergency. Misdiagnosis has a major impact in health care systems, as well as important legal consequences. The diagnosis of Appendicitis still remains a clinical dilemma. Even with the advances in medical field, there is no definitive method or tool to diagnose acute appendicitis. Aim: To evaluate the accuracy of Total Leukocyte Count and C - reactive protein (CRP) in the diagnosis of acute appendicitis. Materials and Methods: A prospective observational studywas conducted and 50 patients who underwent emergency appendicectomy were considered for the study. The sensitivity and specificity of TLC, CRP and HPE reports of the ressected specimens were tabulated. of 50 cases which underwent emergency appendicectomy. Chi-square/ Fisher exact test has been used to find the significance of study parameters. Results: Increased Total leucocyte count was seen in 88% cases and CRP in 80%. These values were also correlated with the histopathology reports to aid in the diagnosis. Conclusion: This study aims at taking into account TLC and CRP in the diagnosis of acute appendicitis, it also helps in analyzing how specific and sensitive an indicator it is in the prediction of acute appendicitis. The values of TLC and CRP will be compared with the histopathology reports of the resected appendix specimen.

Objective: To determine the accuracy of ultrasonography in diagnosing acute appendicitis (AA) by taking histopathology as gold standard. Study Design: A cross-sectional validation study. Place and Duration of Study: Departments of surgery and radiology, Combined Military Hospitals of Multan and Quetta, from Apr 2014 to Apr 2016. Material and Methods: Ultrasonography of 200 consecutive patients fulfilling the diagnostic criteria on Modified Alvarado Scoring System for the clinical diagnosis of AA was done and the results were entered in proformas. Each patient underwent appendicectomy and appendices in all cases were sent for histopathological examination. Sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), negative predictive value (NPV), and accuracy were calculated through Med Calc. Results: Out of 200 patients, 132 were males and 68 were females. The most common age group was 11-30 years. The sensitivity of ultrasonography for AA was 61.43%, with a specificity of 76.67%, PPV of 86%, NPV of 46%, and an accuracy rate of 66%. Conclusion: With sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy rate of 61.4%, 76.7%, and 66% respectively, ultrasonography is justified as an appropriate diagnostic tool in suspected cases of AA to avoid undue surgical interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Nighttime surgery for non-life threatening disease has been associated with poorer outcomes, but delaying surgery for acute appendicitis may also be detrimental. The aim was to assess the effect of the Acute Surgical Unit [ASU] model on nighttime surgery rates and outcomes for patients undergoing appendicectomy.Method: A retrospective review of medical records of patients having an appendicectomy. Primary outcomes were nighttime surgery rate, time from presentation to surgery, perforation rate, complication rate and length of stay.Results: There was a large increase in workload: Pre ASU 278, Early ASU 553 and Est. ASU 923. There was a significant decrease in nighttime surgery rates: Pre ASU 46.9%, Early ASU 30.2% and Established ASU 28.3% (Pre vs. Early p < 0.001; Pre vs. Est. p < 0.001; Early vs. Est p = 0.004). When comparing the Pre ASU and Established ASU groups there was an increase in mean time from presentation to surgery (Pre 14.43 Hrs, Est. 18.65 Hrs; p = 0.001), an increase in perforation rate that was not significant (Pre 9.8%, Est. 14.2%; p = 0.05) and similar complication rates (Pre 8.66%, Est. 7.04%; p = 0.37). There was a significant decrease in length of stay between the Early and Established ASU groups (Pre 3.1 D, Est. 2.8D, p = 0.01). At our institution there was no statistically significant increase in complications for patients undergoing nighttime appendicectomy (Night 10.0%, Day 8.2%; p = 0.16).Conclusion: There was a significant decrease in nighttime surgery, without any difference in morbidity or length of stay for patients treated within the Established ASU (compared to Pre ASU group).Level Of Evidence: IIb. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Antecedentes: El tratamiento de la apendicitis aguda implica su extirpación; es frecuente la solicitud de cicatrices postquirúrgicas del mejor tamaño posible. Una de las estrategias disponibles es el abordaje transumbilical. Objetivos: Descubrir las características clínicas y los desenlaces operatorios de los pacientes pediátricos en quienes se realiza apendicectomía vía transumbilical. Metodología: Estudio prospectivo de 424 pacientes sucesivos en cuanto a los desenlaces operatorios a corto plazo. Resultados: El tiempo promedio de intervención quirúrgica fue de 22 minutos; 95,8% de los pacientes presentó evolución satisfactoria del postquirúrgico; 1,4% de los pacientes se reintervino para drenar un absceso intracavitario residual y 0,2% presentó infencción de sitio operatorio sin mas complicaciones. Conclusión: El abordaje transumbilical de la apendicitis es una alternativa minimamente invasiva para todos los estados de apendicitis aguda e implica disminución del tiempo de realización, menor estancia del postquirúrgico, menor incidencia de complicaciones y mayor conformidad con los resultados estéticos.

Introduction: More reports of single-incision laparoscopic appendectomy are appearing in literature as it is an improvement over multiport laparoscopy in further reducing the trauma to abdomen. But, most of techniques require expensive gadgets like commercial ports and manoeuverable instruments, which are not available at many centres. In this context, a feasibility study of our own operative technique of single-incision laparoscopic appendectomy with less expensive conventional instrumentation was conducted at a single centre. Materials and Methods: This prospective study was carried out in tertiary care teaching institute of a semi-urban area in South India over a period of 1 year from March 2011 to February 2012. Twenty-nine patients of appendicitis were included in this study. Based on the principles of single-incision laparoscopy, we developed a glove port utilizing readily available operation theatre equipment. Results: Mean operative time was 56±12 minutes. Mean age of subjects was 34±15 years. M: F ratio was 2:1. There was no significant perioperative morbidity or mortality. Mean follow-up period was 8 months. Conclusion: Our initial experience with this technique of single-incision laparoscopic appendectomy demonstrates its feasibility, safety at a very low cost.

El tumor carcinoide de apéndice cecal es el más frecuente de todos los tumores apendiculares y generalmente no presentan manifestaciones clínicas. El objetivo de este trabajo fue dar a conocer un interesante caso de tumor carcinoide en una paciente de 26 años de edad cuyo cuadro clínico se interpretó como una apendicitis subaguda. Se indicó tratamiento con antibióticoterapia y hospitalización. La evolución fue satisfactoria. Se da el alta a los 10 días, con ausencia de la tumoración abdominal tanto clínica como ecográficamente. A los 3 meses se decide la operación y se realiza apendicectomía cecal, y se recibe como resultado de anatomía patológica argentafinoma del tercio distal del apéndice cecal con infiltración de la mucosa. Se interconsultó con oncología y se realizó seguimiento. La paciente se ha mantenido durante 10 años con evolución satisfactoria, libre de enfermedad. Los exámenes de ultrasonido y tomografía axial computarizada anual informan ausencia de adenopatías regionales y de metástasis hepática.The carcinoid tumors of the cecal appendix are the most frequent of all appendicular tumors, with no clinical manifestations in general. The general objective of this paper was to present an interesting case of carcinoid tumor found in a 26 years-old woman, whose clinical picture was diagnosed as subacute appendicitis. She was hospitalized and treated with antibiotics with good recovery and discharged 10 days later. She had no abdominal tumors confirmed clinically and echographically at that time. Three months later, the patient was operated on and underwent cecal appendicectomy. The pathological anatomy analysis yielded argentaffinoma in the distal third of the cecal appendix with mucosal infiltration. She was referred to the oncology service to be followed up. She has been free from any complication with good recovery for 10 years. The annual ultrasound and the CT scan show that there is neither regional adenopathy nor hepatic metastasis.

Introducción: el 55 % de las personas que llegan a 60 años requerirán al menos una operación, y el 50 % son urgentes, y dentro de las principales causas se encuentra la apendicitis aguda. Objetivo: conocer las características epidemiológicas y clínicas de la apendicitis aguda en el adulto mayor, con el propósito de intentar mejorar el diagnóstico y los resultados del tratamiento quirúrgico en ellos. Métodos: estudio observacional descriptivo, del tipo de serie de casos, de carácter retrospectivo, desde el 1º de enero de 2005 hasta el 31 de diciembre de 2008, en el Hospital Clinicoquirúrgico Docente "Miguel Enríquez". Se incluyeron a todos los enfermos mayores de 60 años operados de apendicitis aguda. Resultados: la incidencia de apendicitis aguda en el adulto mayor fue de 4,7 %. El grupo más afectado fue de 60 a 69 años. De los síntomas predominó el dolor abdominal y las náuseas y vómitos. El dolor típico predominó en el grupo de 60-69 años, y a medida que aumentó la edad predominó el denominado dolor atípico. Son significativas las cifras de inflamación apendicular avanzada: perforaciones (13,5 %), gangrena (13,5 %) y la supuración (21,1 %). La morbilidad global fue de 28,8 %. No existió mortalidad en esta serie. Conclusiones: la apendicitis en el adulto mayor muestra logros en términos de tratamiento y resultados en nuestra institución. Continúa con presentaciones atípicas y morbilidad significativa. Quedan acciones por realizar, en el área de diagnóstico y tratamiento quirúrgico, para lograr perfeccionar y mejorar todavía más los resultados.Introduction: the 55 % of the persons arriving to 60 years old will require at the least one operation and the 50% are urgent and within the leading causes is the acute appendicitis. Objective: to know the epidemiological and clinical features of the acute appendicitis in the elderly, to trying of improve the diagnosis and the results of surgical treatment in them. Methods: a retrospective, case series, descriptive and observational study was conducted from January,1, 2005 to December 31, 2008 in the "Miguel Enriquez" Clinical Surgical Hospital. All patients aged over 60 and operated on of acute appendicitis were included. Results: from all the symptoms there was predominance of abdominal pain, nauseas and vomiting. The typical pain predominated in the age group of 60-69 and according aging there was predominance of atypical pain. The figures of appendicular advanced inflammation: perforations (13.5 %), gangrene (13.5 %) and suppuration (21.1 %). Global morbidity was of 28.8 %. In present series there was not mortality. Conclusions: the appendicitis in elderly shows achievements in relation to treatment and results in our institution. The atypical presentations remain with a significant morbidity. It is necessary to take actions in the area of diagnosis and surgical treatment to achieve to improve still more the results.

Situs nversus totalis is a rare condition which presents difficulty in clinical diagnosis as well as laparoscopic surgery for cholelithiasis. The mirror image anatomy makes the laparoscopic intervention difficult even for an experienced surgeon. Presenting here is a case report and review of literature.

Introduction : Single-incision laparoscopic surgery (SILS) appendectomy seeks to further minimise the trauma of parietal access of laparoscopic appendectomy. Methods: We present our initial experience of 17 cases of SILS appendectomy which were completed using conventional laparoscopic instruments. We utiliesd a single-incision multi-port laparoscopic appendectomy (SIMPLA) technique. Results: The operative time was 63 ± 20 min, blood loss 6.5 ± 5 mL, bowel movement (passing stool) occurred in 2.6 ± 0.6 days. Most patients were discharged on the first operative day on oral diet. The analgesic usage and pain scores were similar to multi-port laparoscopic appendectomy. No complications were noted at follow-up till 4 weeks and the surgical wound healed in all patients with an inconspicuous scar. Conclusion: Our initial experience with SILS appendectomy demonstrates its feasibility and supports the promise of minimising further the access of laparoscopic surgery. The clear advantage is its cosmetic benefit.

Objective: Objective of this study is to present our experience by harmonic scalpel enabled, single external port appendicectomy using extracorporeally inserted ′pick and fix′ stitch in three cases. Materials and Methods: Of the eighteen appendicectomies performed with only the use of harmonic scalpel in the last 11 months, the last three were performed using a single external port with the second port accessed under the subcutaneous tissues. The procedure consists of anchoring the mesoappendix to anterior abdominal wall by an extracorporeally inserted ′pick and fix′ stitch followed by dissection and division of mesoappendix and appendix only with harmonic scalpel. Results: There were three patients, one female and two males aged 5, 7, and 11 years, respectively. Two were elective and one was emergency appendicectomy. Mean operating time was 30 min without any surgical complications. All patients are in follow-up with no complications. Conclusion: This study demonstrates the combined virtue of single external port, use of harmonic scalpel, and ′pick and fix′ suture in laparoscopic appendicectomy in children. This approach avoids the use of an additional port as well as endosuture; and is safe, efficient, cost-effective, and is associated with reduced surgical time.

BACKGROUND: Laparoscopic appendicectomy though widely practiced has not gained universal approval. Laparoscopic appendicectomy in India is relatively new and the literature is scant. This study was aimed to compare laparoscopic with open appendicectomy and ascertain the therapeutic benefit, if any, in the overall management of acute appendicitis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study group consisted of two hundred and seventy nine patients suffering from acute appendicitis. One hundred patients underwent laparoscopic appendicectomy (LA) and one hundred seventy nine patients underwent open appendecectomy (OA). Comparison was based on length of hospital stay, operating time, postoperative morbidity, duration of convalescence and operative cost in terms of their medians. The Mann-Whitney statistics (T) were calculated and because of large samples, the normal deviate test (Z) was used. RESULTS: Of the hundred patients, six patients (6%) had the procedure converted to open surgery. The rate of infections and overall complications (LA: 15%, OA: 31.8%, P < 0.001) were significantly lower in patients undergoing LA. The median length of stay was significantly shorter after LA (3 days after LA, 5 days after OA, P < 0.0001) than after OA. The operating time was shorter {OA: 25 min (median), LA: 28 min (median), 0.01< P < 0.05} in patients undergoing open appendicectomy compared to laparoscopic appendicectomy. CONCLUSION: Hospital stay for LA is significantly shorter and the one-time operative charges appear to be almost the same. LA is also associated with increased clinical comfort in terms of fewer wound infections, faster recovery, earlier return to work and improved cosmesis.

The presence of a vermiform appendix in an inguinal hernia sac is known as Amyand's hernia. It is an uncommon and rare condition estimated to be found in approximately 1 % of hernia. However, in just 0.08 %, the condition is complicated by an acute appendicitis. The clinical presentation varies, depending on the extent of inflammation of the appendix, and is most often misdiagnosed as an incarcerated inguinal hernia. As such, it is rarely recognized prior to surgical exploration. We report a case of Amyand’s hernia in a 2-month-old male, who presented as a right-sided congenital hernia with pain in the right groin. He underwent herniotomy, which revealed that the hernia sac containing elongated inflamed appendix appeared with some adhesions to sac, lying in the inguinal canal.

Acute appendicitis is very uncommon in the first year of life and often its presentation is atypical with high risk of complications. Hereby, we present 4 clinical cases of infants, who were diagnosed with acute appendicitis in our hospital over the last year. The reported clinical cases highlight the several drawbacks clinicians face when managing infants with symptoms suggestive for acute appendicitis. After specific diagnostic work-up, even if not conclusive, patients were intraoperatively diagnosed with acute appendicitis and underwent appendicectomy. Maintaining a high index of suspicion for acute appendicitis in infants presenting with intra-abdominal sepsis of unclear etiology is, in our opinion, the most crucial factor to avoid complications and longer hospitalization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Laparoscopic inguinal herniorraphy via a transabdominal preperitoneal (TAPP) approach using Polypropylene Mesh (Mesh) and staples is an accepted technique. Mesh induces a localised inflammatory response that may extend to, and involve, adjacent abdominal and pelvic viscera such as the appendix. We present an interesting case of suspected Mesh-induced appendicitis treated successfully with laparoscopic appendicectomy, without Mesh removal, in an elderly gentleman who presented with symptoms and signs of acute appendicitis 18 months after laparoscopic inguinal hernia repair. Possible mechanisms for Mesh-induced appendicitis are briefly discussed.

Background: Acute appendicitis is a disease of the young presenting in children and early adolescents although no age group is exempt. It is the most common cause of acute surgical abdomen worldwide. This clinicopathological study aims to determine the various lesions of the surgically removed appendix in our centre and if any, changing trend in this lesion in our environment. Method: A retrospective study was undertaken to review the histopathology reports of all appendicectomy specimens submitted to the Department of Pathology of the Asokoro District Hospital, Abuja; Nigeria from November 2009 to October 2012 Patient's biodata, clinical signs and symptoms were extracted from the request form. Result: A total of 293 appendices were received during the 3-year study period constituting about 10% of total specimens. The male to female ratio was 1:1.3 with a mean age of 26.33 ± 11.39 years. Acute appendicitis was found in 81.2% of our cases while other lesions constitute 14.7% and negative appendectomy occurred in 4.1% of the cases. No mortality was recorded. Conclusion: The findings in this study compared favourably with those of our environment and in the developed world although acute appendicitis in this study showed slight female preponderance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: Evaluation of the pediatric appendicitis score (PAS), in all patients who had an appendicectomy over a one-year period. Methods: Retrospective study of 56 patients aged 4-15 years, who underwent an emergency appendicectomy. PAS was applied and patients were divided according to the PAS protocol into high probability and low probability groups. These results were then correlated with histology. Results: The PAS had sensitivity 0.87, specificity 0.59, positive predictive value 0.83, and negative predictive value 0.67. The negative appendicectomy rate would have been reduced to 17%, but five patients with appendicitis would have been denied early surgical treatment and may have been discharged. Conclusions: The PAS cannot be recommended as it would lead to an unacceptable risk of wrongly discharging or delaying necessary surgery in 13% of patients with appendicitis.

Background Appendicectomy remains the most common abdominal emergency procedure performed by surgeons. We reviewed appendicectomies for the calendar years 1999 and 2009 to assess any changes in the referral, presentation and management at a tertiary paediatric institution. Methods We performed a retrospective chart review on all appendicectomies at our institution in 1999 and 2009. Patients were identified using the International Classification of Diseases 9 and 10 Australian Modification codes. A P-value of <0.05 was considered significant. Results The number of emergency appendicectomies more than doubled from 126 to 296 between 1999 and 2009. The rate of laparoscopic appendicectomy increased from <1% in 1999 to 70.3% in 2009. Overall, the mean patient age increased from 8.6 years in 1999 to 9.68 in 2009 ( P = 0.005). There was an increase in the proportion (19.8% versus 39.5%, P < 0.001) and age (5.3 versus 8.8, P < 0.0001) of patients referred via inter-hospital transfers between the two time periods. In 2009, laparoscopic surgery required on average 13.6 min longer than open surgery. This increase in surgical duration was offset by a decrease in the length of stay (5.0 ± 0.7 versus 3.5 ± 0.3, P < 0.0001). Conclusions Our institution has experienced an extraordinary rise in the number of appendicectomies performed, which cannot be explained by an increase in the local paediatric population alone. There appears to have been dramatic shift in the surgical care of children to our tertiary paediatric centre. The majority of appendicectomies in 2009 were laparoscopic, with a reduced length of stay despite longer operative times. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Several studies have shown an inverse relationship between appendicectomy and subsequent development of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), although these findings remain contentious. This study aims to further elucidate the role appendicitis/appendicectomy has in the development of IBD. All patients undergoing appendicectomy at Hereford County Hospital between 1986 and 2005 were identified from pathology records. Those already diagnosed with IBD were excluded. Age- and sex-matched controls were randomly selected from a database of orthopaedic clinic attendees. Those with prior history of IBD or appendicectomy were excluded. The incidence of IBD was determined by cross-referencing with the histology database, colonoscopy database and IBD register. Three thousand eight hundred twenty-nine patients were included in each group, with mean follow-up of 12 ± 5.9 years. Twelve patients in the appendicectomy group developed IBD. Mean age at diagnosis was 30.3 years, and mean interval from appendicectomy of 3.7 years. Age at appendicectomy and appendicectomy for appendicitis conferred no benefit (Mann–Whitney test, p = 0.991). Eleven patients in the control group developed IBD, with no significant differences in any of the measured outcomes. This study has shown no relationship between appendicitis/appendicectomy and development of IBD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]